The Daily Thistle – News From Scotland

Wednesday 15th November 2017

"Madainn Mhath” …Fellow Scot, I hope the day brings joy to you…." The weather forecast said “Partly Cloudy” but thick clouds are building up over Estepona.. and the smell of rain is in the air.. so Bella and I set out at a brisk walk going up the hill towards the Hermitage which resides at the top.. the view from here is impressive, I can see why the Monk built his house in this location.. on a clear day you can see the coast of Africa to the south and to the west Gibraltar, but today nothing can be seen except the clouds ominously building against the mountains…

TEENAGER’S BONES FOUND AT EIGG MASSACRE CAVE, TESTS CONFIRM…. Archaeologists have confirmed that bones found at Massacre Cave on Eigg are those of a teenager. Tourists discovered around 50 bones in the cave, the scene of a mass killing of members of the Macdonald clan in the late 16th Century, last year. Initial tests suggested the bones dated to between 1430 and 1620, potentially placing them to the time of the massacre which wiped out almost the entire population of the island. Dr Kirsty Owen, senior archaeology manager at Historic Environment Scotland, said further analysis has now confirmed the bones belonged to a single skeleton of an adolescent aged under 16. It has not been possible to determine their sex or stature, Dr Owen added. Further tests are to be carried out at Bradford University to shed more light on the diet and lifestyle of the person whose remains have been found. Results of a post-excavation analysis carried out at the cave are now being finalised with further radiocarbon dates from materials due soon. HES plans to return the remains to Eigg once all investigations have been completed. Dr Owen added: “When post-excavation analysis has been completed we will discuss what happens next with the community on Eigg. The decision will be made jointly with them.” Police were called to the cave, also known as Francis Cave, last October following the discovery of the remains. No proactive searches have been made for further remain given the cave is now treated as a war grave.

Read More: https://www.facebook.com/groups/OurPastBeneathOurFeet/ 

MYSTERY FILE COULD HELP SOLVE NAIRN BANK MANAGER MURDER…. Officers investigating one of Scotland’s most notorious unsolved murder cases have denied a claim by a criminologist that there is enough detail to create a photofit of a suspect. Banker Alistair Wilson was shot dead on his own doorstep in Nairn in 2004 but despite an extensive investigation, no-one has ever been brought to justice. A “cold case thesis” sent to The Scotsman from someone identified only as “Nate” maintains officers have enough information to draw up an e-fit of the attacker based on statements from Mr Wilson’s wife Veronica and Tommy Hogg, a former community councillor who reported seeing the gunman before the shooting. Mr Hogg, who is understood to have been interviewed by police about the case, claims to have seen the attacker on a bus prior to the shooting and previously said he would “never forget” the man’s face. Mr Wilson, a 30-year-old business manager with Bank of Scotland, was shot three times at close range and later died in hospital. The murder weapon was found in a drain by council workers the following month.

Read More: https://www.facebook.com/groups/LandCalledScotland/ 

POLICE SEIZE MILLIONS IN DRUGS IN ABERDEEN IN SINGLE YEAR…. Almost £2.5 million in drugs has been seized in Aberdeen in just one year. About 192kg of cannabis, 4.8kg of diamorphine, more than 5,000 diazepam tablets and 11.95kg of cocaine were among the substances seized by officers intent on dismantling Serious Organised Crime Groups (SOCGs) in the city. A total of 252 drugs search warrants were executed – an average of 21 per month. There were 211 people reported to the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service for drug supply offences. Among the most notable seizures was the recovery of £120,000 worth of ‘crack’ cocaine and diamorphine in the Bridge of Don area, while about £40,000 of cannabis and cocaine was found in the Tillydrone area. A 52-year-old pharmacist also had £432,000 of assets seized from him as a result of a multi-agency enquiry into falsifying prescription drugs for his own financial gain. The figures from September 1 last year to August 31 this year are being presented to Aberdeen City Council today.

THE TALE OF THE MONKEY HANGED IN THE NORTH EAST…. It is a story that has lingered over a North East village for more than 200 years and even today people of Boddam don’t really like to talk about it. So strong was the tale of the monkey hanged by local fishermen that it underpinned a long standing local feud with “fa hangit the monkey?” a common jest directed at villagers, even until relatively recently. It all began with a folk song written around 1800 which was based on a story long passed around this corner of Scotland. The folk tale details how fishermen had climbed aboard a shipwrecked boat to strip it of cargo and material - only to find a monkey still on board. Laws of the day allowed ‘wreckers’ to claim booty from stricken vessels, as long as no living soul remained on the boat.

When Boddam wreckers found the monkey, the animal ran up the mast - with the men then choosing to hang it. While this cleared the way for the booty to be taken from the boat, some versions of the story claim that the fisherman didn’t know what the monkey was and believed it to be the devil. Read More: https://www.facebook.com/ScotlandScotlandScotland/ 

HUTTERS WANTED FOR NEW COMMUNITY IN NATIONAL FOREST…. Those seeking a simpler life will soon have the chance to secure a plot in the first hutting community to be built on Scotland’s national forest estate. A 13-hut community at Carnock Wood, near Saline in Fife, has been approved by planners with people invited to register their interest from next week. The huts will be built amid the birches, pines and sycamores of the forest with hopes the hutters will be on site by Spring 2019. Ten plots will be offered to those living within 50 miles of Carnock Wood, two will go to those living in the surrounding community with another to be used as a classroom for a local school. The development is viewed as major step forward in the campaign to revive a culture of recreational hutting in Scotland which dipped away following World War Two.

On that note I will say that I hope you have enjoyed the news from Scotland today, 

Our look at Scotland today is of an amazing sunset in Hamnavoe... 

A Sincere Thank You for your company and Thank You for your likes and comments I love them and always try to reply, so please keep them coming, it's always good fun, As is my custom, I will go and get myself another mug of "Colombian" Coffee and wish you a safe Wednesday 15th November 2017 from my home on the southern coast of Spain, where the blue waters of the Alboran Sea washes the coast of Africa and Europe and the smell of the night blooming Jasmine and Honeysuckle fills the air…and a crazy old guy and his dog Bella go out for a walk at 4:00 am…on the streets of Estepona…

All good stuff....But remember it’s a dangerous world we live in 

Be safe out there…

Robert McAngus